Are believers happier than atheists?

[mikkel_the_dane]

For a person seeking to be happy, it has been scientifically proven that the ultimate goal to achieving the most happiness possible in this life is a $400,000 a year salary.
Believer/non-believer, doesn't matter.

So science agrees with you 100%
The biggest indicator of how happy you are is not religion but money.

Not to say IMO, you can't be poor and also happy, but the level of happiness it is possible to experience dramatically increases with the size of your paycheck.

Evidence, as I have heard it differently and also someone claiming science.

 

[Kfox]

Are believers happier than atheists?

It is my contention that believers are no happier than atheists and that there is no correlation between belief in God and happiness.

I think atheists can and do have happy lives, and many of them are happier than believers. I don't think that personal happiness is derived from belief in God, although one could argue that unlike personal happiness, spiritual happiness is derived from belief in God and a religion, and practicing that religion.

Do believers really rely upon God and their religion for their happiness? I highly doubt it. To test my hypothesis, if all the material things and physical pleasures that make most people happy were suddenly taken away how happy would they be? Would they still be happy worshiping God with only the bare essentials? That is certainly not how I see most people living although that is what most religions teach, particularly Christianity (Matthew 16:24-26, John 12:24-26) and also the Baha’i Faith.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I think that personal happiness is determined by a combination of factors such as childhood upbringing, heredity, education, adult experiences, and present life circumstances. All of these can be considered ‘causes’ or ‘reasons’ why people use their free will to make life choices that lead to happiness or unhappiness. However, free will is circumscribed by many factors such as ability and opportunity so true free will is very limited.

Although we have free will there are many things that happen to us that are not freely chosen. Life events such as death, sickness, injuries, accidents and other misfortunes are beyond our control and we are compelled to endure them. These are not subject to the free will of man so man is not responsible for them. These events are our fate, predestined by God, thus God is responsible for them.

I believe that God determines much of our well-being or lack thereof, since our childhood upbringing and heredity are predestined and these largely determine our lot in life, including our level of education, our adult experiences, and present life circumstances. If God is responsible for our fate, whether we have a happy life or a life of suffering is largely determined by God. Most believers want to credit God with all the good things that happen in life but they fail to look at anything else. I consider this highly illogical.

As a kid when I was Christian, I was miserable. I was going through puberty, and every time I saw a pretty girl, my body would react and I was taught that reaction was a sin. I think it was Paul who said “if thy eye offend the, pluck it out! Because it is better to go to Heaven with one eye than hell with 2.” At that time I wanted to blind myself because if I were blind, I would never see a pretty girl again and my body would quit sinning against my will; but I didn’t have the nerve to do it. When I look back at those times, that was a horrible time of my life.

 

[Alien826]

As a kid when I was Christian, I was miserable. I was going through puberty, and every time I saw a pretty girl, my body would react and I was taught that reaction was a sin. I think it was Paul who said “if thy eye offend the, pluck it out! Because it is better to go to Heaven with one eye than hell with 2.” At that time I wanted to blind myself because if I were blind, I would never see a pretty girl again and my body would quit sinning against my will; but I didn’t have the nerve to do it. When I look back at those times, that was a horrible time of my life.

Christianity (maybe Christians as individuals) has done many good things over the years, but I never forgive it for how it has treated our sexuality. How can something so beautiful be sinful?

 

[Trailblazer]

As a kid when I was Christian, I was miserable. I was going through puberty, and every time I saw a pretty girl, my body would react and I was taught that reaction was a sin. I think it was Paul who said “if thy eye offend the, pluck it out! Because it is better to go to Heaven with one eye than hell with 2.” At that time I wanted to blind myself because if I were blind, I would never see a pretty girl again and my body would quit sinning against my will; but I didn’t have the nerve to do it. When I look back at those times, that was a horrible time of my life.

I'm sorry you had to go through that but I am glad you are now free of it.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Are believers happier than atheists?

It is my contention that believers are no happier than atheists and that there is no correlation between belief in God and happiness.

I think atheists can and do have happy lives, and many of them are happier than believers. I don't think that personal happiness is derived from belief in God, although one could argue that unlike personal happiness, spiritual happiness is derived from belief in God and a religion, and practicing that religion.

Do believers really rely upon God and their religion for their happiness? I highly doubt it. To test my hypothesis, if all the material things and physical pleasures that make most people happy were suddenly taken away how happy would they be? Would they still be happy worshiping God with only the bare essentials? That is certainly not how I see most people living although that is what most religions teach, particularly Christianity (Matthew 16:24-26, John 12:24-26) and also the Baha’i Faith.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I think that personal happiness is determined by a combination of factors such as childhood upbringing, heredity, education, adult experiences, and present life circumstances. All of these can be considered ‘causes’ or ‘reasons’ why people use their free will to make life choices that lead to happiness or unhappiness. However, free will is circumscribed by many factors such as ability and opportunity so true free will is very limited.

Although we have free will there are many things that happen to us that are not freely chosen. Life events such as death, sickness, injuries, accidents and other misfortunes are beyond our control and we are compelled to endure them. These are not subject to the free will of man so man is not responsible for them. These events are our fate, predestined by God, thus God is responsible for them.

I believe that God determines much of our well-being or lack thereof, since our childhood upbringing and heredity are predestined and these largely determine our lot in life, including our level of education, our adult experiences, and present life circumstances. If God is responsible for our fate, whether we have a happy life or a life of suffering is largely determined by God. Most believers want to credit God with all the good things that happen in life but they fail to look at anything else. I consider this highly illogical.

"The results of a multilevel regression analysis suggest that religious individuals are on average happier and more satisfied with life than non-religious individuals." Why are religious people happy? The effect of the social norm of religiosity across countries - PubMed.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

For a person seeking to be happy, it has been scientifically proven that the ultimate goal to achieving the most happiness possible in this life is a $400,000 a year salary.
Believer/non-believer, doesn't matter.

So science agrees with you 100%
The biggest indicator of how happy you are is not religion but money.

Not to say IMO, you can't be poor and also happy, but the level of happiness it is possible to experience dramatically increases with the size of your paycheck.

That's not at all what science says about it. The income level is much lower (closer to one less zeroes in the claim) and beyond that it doesn't make a difference, and it shows our connections and relationships with others are most crucial. In fact, our relationships (not the size of our paycheck) are consistently the best predictors of happiness.
Good Social Relationships Are the Most Consistent Predictor of a Happy Life - The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education

Ultimately, other people play a crucial role in our happiness.

Psychology says that part of human nature’s default mode is to be social. According to one theory — people have an innate (and very powerful) need to form and maintain strong, stable interpersonal relationships.

Heaps of research suggest that social connections make people happier. Satisfying relationships not only make people happy, but they also associated with better health and even longer life.

Relationships are connected to some of our strongest emotions. When they are positive we feel happiness, contentment and calm. When relationships bring out the worst in us or they are non-existent, we feel anxious, depressed, and lonely.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

As a kid when I was Christian, I was miserable. I was going through puberty, and every time I saw a pretty girl, my body would react and I was taught that reaction was a sin. I think it was Paul who said “if thy eye offend the, pluck it out! Because it is better to go to Heaven with one eye than hell with 2.” At that time I wanted to blind myself because if I were blind, I would never see a pretty girl again and my body would quit sinning against my will; but I didn’t have the nerve to do it. When I look back at those times, that was a horrible time of my life.

I went through a similar ordeal. It's absolutely horrible what these cults passing themselves as churches do to people, and worse yet they get a free pass under the guise of religion. What you were taught is abusive, but we have been misguided into thinking churches are good, moral institutions where people learn to be better people. But many of us have suffered from various church teachings that are toxic and highly poisonous. We should be focusing and discussing more on stories like these, because the good of the church is the good of us, and that good we can do and do often do without the church. But it takes the Church to teach such nasty things as to lead to self hate and abuse over what is simply nothing more than an innocent human reaction.

 

[Truthseeker]

"The results of a multilevel regression analysis suggest that religious individuals are on average happier and more satisfied with life than non-religious individuals." Why are religious people happy? The effect of the social norm of religiosity across countries - PubMed.

Sounds good to me @Trailblazer. You are an exception. Your own experience colors what you see.

 

[Truthseeker]

Would they still be happy worshiping God with only the bare essentials? That is certainly not how I see most people living although that is what most religions teach, particularly Christianity (Matthew 16:24-26, John 12:24-26) and also the Baha’i Faith.

From what I understand people in poor countries are more religious. Look at Europe, United States, Japan. Why are poor people people more religious? It is a source of happiness for them I believe. Family is also important in poor countries, more so than in rich countries. In rich countries there is often an attachment to their riches, but there is an emptiness inside that riches can't fill. They wonder why they are so empty, but as they abandon religion, they fill their emptiness with drugs and such.

Religion had already been hollowed out of it's true meaning over time, and then the "enlightenment" of the 18th century took hold where the the irrationality of religions beliefs was seen and so they abandon religion in countries of Western influence where materialism and scientific rationalism has taken hold, because the reality of Christian scriptures had been misunderstood in the first place. And yet, the religion they had was a source of happiness.

I think I'm rambling all over the place here. The second paragraph doesn't really relate that well with the first paragraph.

 

[Trailblazer]

I think I'm rambling all over the place here. The second paragraph doesn't really relate that well with the first paragraph.

No, that was a good post, very informative and helpful.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

From what I understand people in poor countries are more religious.

Not necessarily true. The US is very wealthy, and yet we are known for our religiousity.

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

Are believers happier than atheists?

Why does it matter?

It is my contention that believers are no happier than atheists and that there is no correlation between belief in God and happiness.

Perhaps there is, perhaps there isn't.

I consider it irrelevant in relation to whether the claims of theism are true or not.

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

I could easily be an atheist if I did not believe in God.

Strange thing to say.

It's like saying "I could easily be a bachelor if I wasn't married"

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Why does it matter?

Well, most people who are well balanced desire a happier life.

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

Well, most people who are well balanced desire a happier life.

Most people desire a happy life, period.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Most people desire a happy life, period.

And one of the factors of having a happy life is being part of a religious community.

 

[TagliatelliMonster]

And one of the factors of having a happy life is being part of a religious community.

Correction: being part of a community. Religious or otherwise.

Humans are social species. It is very unsurprising to find out that being part of a community contributes to their happiness levels.

However, let's just say that being religious contributes more to being happy then being non-religious. It could be true or wrong, I don't know. It doesn't matter to my point, so let's just say that it is the case.

Again I ask: why does it matter?

Does it make religious claims true and accurate? No.
Does it give religious claims an inch of actual credibility? No.

The fact that a belief is comforting and / or makes one happy, does not mean the belief is accurate.

 

[Ponder This]

I know atheists can be civilly active but how can they be religious?

Some people regard Buddhism as a religion without deities.

Animism can attribute souls to plants, inanimate objects, and natural phenomena.

But I don't know how defensible claims of atheist religion really are once you dig deep into it.

 

[ppp]

Atheists can find happiness in other ways than believing in God.
Atheists can be religious and atheists can be civically active.
On the other hand, atheists have a higher rate of drug use.

Why is that an "On the other hand?" Aren't we past the drugs are indiscriminately bad thing?

 

[Trailblazer]

Why does it matter?

It doesn't really matter. It was just an interesting subject I thought was worth discussing.

Perhaps there is, perhaps there isn't.

I consider it irrelevant in relation to whether the claims of theism are true or not.

That's true, whether believers are happier or not has no bearing on the truth of the claims of believers.